


Always By Your Side (An Ereri Week Fanfiction)

by Fandoms_Set_My_Soul_On_Fire



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: EreRi Week 2016, F/F, F/M, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, Multi-Chapter Fanfic, So I'm pretty proud, This was exhausting but fun to write
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-09
Updated: 2016-05-09
Packaged: 2018-06-07 08:28:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6796714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fandoms_Set_My_Soul_On_Fire/pseuds/Fandoms_Set_My_Soul_On_Fire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A multi-chaptered fanfic for ereri week where each chapter focuses on a different prompt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Always By Your Side (An Ereri Week Fanfiction)

**Author's Note:**

> This is why I should not procrastinate. I was writing this chapter for five straight hours ffs. I hope you all like it :) Thank you also to the wonderful @awesomeotakutimelord on tumblr who helped me with both my ideas and the writer's block I had. Also thank you to the lovely @awesomefabatato for being such and amazing and supportive friend *hugs*. Enjoy!

Eren Jaeger was fearless. Headstrong, determined, stubborn to a fault, passionate, reckless, and brave. From an early age, this had showed. He had taken his first steps because he was tired of being carried, and his headstrong attitude became what he was defined as. His childhood consisted of scrapes and fights from children who had provoked him, and the exasperated sigh of his mother as she put yet another bandage on his knee was an all-too-familiar soundtrack. No matter what anyone said, he would never walk away, something that was both a blessing and a curse. He was loud, talkative, and generally dove headfirst into things without a thought or reason. 

So then why couldn’t he manage to do this?

Eren had always thought he would have no trouble when it came to asking out his crush, and had scorned all the girls who were nervous and hesitant and analyzed every sentence the object of their infatuation said to them. But plainly he had been wrong, and he almost hated the way he now almost couldn’t help but sympathize with them. Because even though he was rarely ever nervous, he was now. Butterflies, twisting hands, distraction, and confusion. To think that these feelings were caused by one single person. Levi Ackerman.

Eren hadn’t had much experience with romance, as you can probably imagine. He wasn’t a very romantic guy. A lot of people were put off by his straightforward attitude of not holding anything back. There weren’t many people who impressed him, but Levi did. The impassive black-haired teenager had first appeared in Eren’s view around fifth grade, as a quiet transfer student in their middle school class. He was mysterious and rarely said much, except when he was called on in class, infuriating Eren with his unerring accuracy. Even then, girls had swooned. No one had known much about him except presumably for his two best friends, Erwin and Hanji. Erwin was charismatic and a natural leader even at eleven, and Hanji was… well, Hanji. A messy and eccentric bespectacled ball of energy, she dominated the science classroom and was almost impossible to handle. All in all, they were utter opposites, the extreme differences only matched by the trio of Eren, Armin, and Mikasa. Eren was the headstrong extrovert, Armin the shy but clever bookworm, and Mikasa was Eren’s protective adopted sister, who was generally brilliant and had an air of calm efficiency in everything she did. They had stuck by him for longer than he could remember, and frankly he didn’t think that he’d be able to function without them. 

But enough of the backstory. The fateful day that had really planted the seed of admiration in Eren’s chest had been on a sunny spring day in late April of sixth grade. The class bully had decided to pick on a shy girl that Eren knew who was also from class. She was one of the sweetest people that he had ever met, and yet everyone else seemed afraid to help. Eren couldn’t blame them; James was extremely tall and would not hesitate to show anyone who was boss. Like the angry twelve-year-old that Eren was, he was about to go and stop him, but Levi got there first. Striding over with an absolutely terrifying look on his face, he grabbed James and effortlessly pulled him off Krista.

“Listen up,” he growled. “If you don’t leave her alone, I will make you more then regret it. Krista is one of the sweetest people in the entire school, and I generally dislike pretty much everyone. So if you somehow feel the need to tear her down in order to raise yourself up on some sort of pedestal, you’re even more pathetic than I thought you were. Now get the hell out of my sight.”

Everyone in the nearby vicinity looked shocked, including James. He opened his mouth but then closed it upon second thought. Smart move. It was utterly silent, except for the strangled noises of people who couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Levi sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “And this is why I don’t get involved.” He knelt down beside Krista and extended his hand, asking her if she was all right before helping her to her feet. She gazed at him wide-eyed, wondering why he was helping her. His gaze softened as he looked at her, the kind expression familiar in the memories he still had of his mother. “Look, Krista. You’re a genuinely nice person. Don’t let that piece of unintelligent trash upset you.” And with that, he strode away, his two friends hurriedly chasing him in his wake. 

The admiration that action had caused in Eren had never really gone away, and in fact had strengthened as time passed. When no one else had stepped up to defend Krista, Levi had. He hadn’t been even the tiniest bit afraid and had shut James down with mere words in a way that Eren was sure he’d never be able to do. What he didn’t realize until later was that the harmless admiration was turning into something else.

Gradually, as the next two years passed, what had started out as admiration slowly but surely started to turn into something else. It started off when he could barely notice it, in the form of slight butterflies when he was lucky enough to catch a rare glimpse of Levi smiling, but quickly got worse. He felt nervous and fluttery when Levi talked to him, shivers when they accidently brushed hands, blushed when they made eye contact across the hall or in class, and could barely focus on anything else when he and Levi were in the same room. As it turned out, when Eren fell, he fell hard. 

But as stupid as he sometimes was, he thought he’d be able to get over it. He felt relief when seventh grade came to an end, because he’d be able to spend an entire summer without the distraction of silvery eyes and the perfect porcelain skin that did nothing but complement his sharp features and gorgeous raven hair… fuck. 

He was dead wrong, however. The twelve weeks of separation did nothing but make his feelings grow stronger. He missed Levi, everything from his sarcastic comments to his piercing looks. But it wasn’t until a hot sticky July night that Eren woke up even hotter, his heart racing and Levi’s name on his lips that he knew he was really in trouble. 

Eighth grade caused him to be in the same class as Levi, and he wasn’t sure if he should be grateful or annoyed. He agonized over every interaction he and Levi had, causing both Mikasa and Armin to grow increasingly exasperated, as he would try to analyze every word that his crush said to him. One day, Armin and Mikasa decided to finally sit down and try to reason with Eren and persuade him to finally confess to the object of his affection. “Eren, just fucking do it already. You’ve had a crush on him for years, Jaeger, so ask him out already before you drive both of us insane. We’re you’re best friends and always have been, and as the people who know you more than anyone, we’re the ones who know that the best thing for you to do is to stop agonizing over every word that comes out of his mouth and grow a pair. Use some of that reckless bravery that’s gotten you into trouble too many times to count to let him know you’re in love with him.”

Eren sighed and agreed, but still couldn’t do it. Little did he know that he wasn’t able to hide it nearly as well as he thought. By this time practically the entire school had noticed how perfect they were for each other and wanted them to be together. Eren and Levi were the school’s otp, if you would. It was incredibly frustrating to everyone, even to the teachers, how they would both get nervous and flustered at the slightest eye contact but refused to take the initiative.

Soon it was almost at the end of the year. Everyone was at a loss for what to do. So Krista, one day, sat down with her group of friends to try and figure something out. She had to think of a way to get the stubborn and obviously lovesick teenagers together. But how? She discussed it with them, then had a sudden flash of inspiration. She grinned suddenly, causing everyone to look at her in slight fear. They knew shit was about to go down when they saw that look. Krista explained her idea, and her friends gazed at her in amazement. Even though the angelic blond was sweet, she was also frighteningly cunning sometimes. Krista knew that in order to perfect her plan the group would have to discuss it numerous times. It was a simple enough idea, but they would only have one shot. And if it went wrong, everything would fall apart. 

Eren was ashamed. He was annoyed at himself for being so thrilled that he and Levi would be going to the same high school. Although he shouldn’t have been surprised at all, given that most of his grade was going there. Stupid perfect Levi and his even more stupidly perfect face. No matter what his friends had said, he still hadn’t confessed. He hated himself for being so uncertain; when that kind of caution would have saved him from a lot of the shit he got himself into without asking for it. This just had to be the one area of his life where he felt on shaky ground. But no matter. As Mikasa and Armin kept reminding him, he had four whole years, starting when the summer ended, to find an opportunity to tell Levi the extent of his feelings.

Twelve weeks quickly passed, and soon high school was upon the whole of the student population. Since most of the freshmen were from his middle school, there weren’t many people he didn’t meet. There were, however, a few new faces here and there. He, Mikasa, and Armin befriended the hilarious duo of Connie and Sasha, one never seen without the other. Their light-hearted nature made them a sure way to cheer up a conversation, and they never failed to make the brunette smile. 

Krista was smiling too. After a summer of preparation, she was finally going to execute the plan that she was sure would finally get Eren and Levi together. And boy was she excited. It was a few months into school, and the days were getting cooler. But there was just something in the air that made people think something mischievous was about to happen. Something that would make the school a happier place. Something that, most of all, would make all those painful years of waiting worth it.

Suddenly, it was time. The day was October 19th, and things were about to heat up. Krista looked at the letter she had carefully written and prepared and took a deep breath as her friends wished her luck. She inhaled. Exhaled. And began walking. 

The bell rang just in time, giving her exactly six and half minutes. She strode up to Levi, looking around at the same time to see that Eren and as many people as possible were there. Check and check. Everything was going to plan. Everyone who had been talking a moment earlier was suddenly silent. Krista felt the heavy weight of expectations coming from the direction of her friends. She opened her mouth. “Um, hey Levi.” Time to put those acting skills to use, she thought. Levi gazed at her, bemused. “Um, so I’ve been meaning to say this for a long time, but I never really got the nerve to. I put my feelings in a letter because I was too embarrassed to say it aloud.” Levi looked at her questioningly for a minute before realization kicked in. “Oh-uh Krista-” Here he was cut off by her pleading look as she silently begged him not to embarrass her in front of everyone in the hall. He sighed and gave a slight nod so that she could see. “I know what you’re probably going to say, but I just want you to think about it, okay? Just read the letter over, and then I’ll meet you here tomorrow in this hallway at the same time as today. I know you’ll probably say no to my request for a date, but it’s not often that a girl confesses to the person she loves in front of a bunch of people. So yeah… I guess then I’ll meet you here tomorrow, Levi.” And with that, knowing she had played her part to perfection, Krista strode away, feeling everyone’s gazes on her back as her friends quickly followed her out. The bell rang as she made her exit, giving Levi no time to respond as he stood there. Krista checked to see if she had been right and grinned at the result. Eren was already gone. Sure, she felt really bad for hurting him, but it would be all worth it in the end. 

Eren was a mess. He hurriedly told his next period teacher that he wasn’t feeling good and was grateful that she happened to be one of his nicest. Since his house wasn’t far from here, he was able to walk home fairly quickly. After calling texting Armin and Mikasa that he hadn’t been feeling well, he collapsed onto his bed, holding his head in his hands. What the hell had he been doing? Why hadn’t he done something sooner? He loved Levi, had been in love with him for years. He was truly starting to appreciate the saying that “you don’t know what you have until you lose it”, because he hadn’t ever, before this moment, truly understood what Levi meant to him and just how deep in he was. Because now that he was about to lose him for good, he truly appreciated the depth of his feelings and the loss that he could already feel. 

After a few hours of wallowing in self-anger and internally yelling at himself for how utterly stupid he had been, he realized something. All his fear was gone. All the shakiness, the nerves, the uncertainty. It had vanished. And in its place was a single thought. He loved Levi. Now, what was he going to do about it? Let someone else be the object of his love’s affections? Or be brave enough to confess and finally let Levi knew how he felt about him, like his friends had been urging him to do for years? He didn’t remember a time in his life when he was so certain of an answer. And that answer was the latter.

Everyone was talking about the way Eren had left yesterday, and that was just the way that Krista liked it. Her plan was working, and her friends were already in awe. But she had to be cautious. Things hadn’t finished yet, and she didn’t know if she had been successful until they were. It all depended on what Eren did now, although Krista was sure that the green-eyed boy was completely oblivious. She could barely focus right now. She looked at the clock, certain that the numbers were ticking especially slow simply to annoy her. Nevertheless, it was nearly time…

RINGGGGGGGG

The sound she and her group had been waiting for made them each sit straight up in their seats as they looked at each other, hardly believing that everything hinged on this moment and the unpredictable actions of a certain plainly lovesick freshman. They went out in the hall, surrounded by a crowd of excited students who were all anxious to see what was about to occur. 

Levi was waiting for her, just like he had promised the previous day. Ready to let her down, she presumed. She grinned slightly at how uncomfortable he looked. She could feel the heavy anticipation in the air, and willed everything to work out. Levi sighed and shifted from foot to foot, holding the letter like it was something from outer space. “Um, Krista. I read your letter, and… uh…” Krista sighed, looking down at the ground. “Let me guess,” she sighed sadly, “It’s a rejection.” Eren, where the fuck are you please get here please come on come on come on please I need it to work please come on fucking get here already Jaeger-

The door banged open, bringing in with it a gust of wind and a panting, out of breath, Eren Jaeger. He ran towards them, stopping just before he nearly collided into them. Krista nearly gasped at the fiery determination in his green eyes that was such a contrast between the way he normally was when talking to Levi. “Okay, stop. Krista, as nice as you are, please get the fuck out of my way. I need to talk to Levi right now.” Krista hurriedly went over to where her friends were, relieved that everything was going to plan so far and wanting to give them as much time as possible before the bell rang. 

Eren took a deep breath. This was it. He looked at Levi, the familiar face causing his heart to beat as fast as it ever had. “I’ve been such an idiot. I don’t just like you, Levi; I’m in love with you. I’ve had a crush on you for years and then it turned into this thing where I can’t think of anyone except you and I get really nervous whenever I try to talk to you and it’s utter hell but also the best thing ever because I never knew a smile could make me so damn happy. I’m in love with you, and I never told you because I never had the courage. But apparently being jealous gave me the strength, so here I am. I am in love with you, Levi Ackerman, and I am not willing to let you reject me. Not after all the shit both of us have been through.” 

Levi stared at him for a moment, and then he smiled. Not just any smile, though, a smile that hadn’t adorned his face since before his mother had died. A smile that nearly brought tears to Eren’s eyes at how happy the older looked. It lit up his face, and in that moment, Eren saw an angel in the features of the person he loved. 

Everyone in the hallway was silent with shock, mouths hanging open as they tried to process what was happening. But one person wasn’t. Krista grinned, a look full of joy at their happiness and self-satisfaction at the plan that had worked to put that happiness there. “Fucking finally, you colossal idiots. We’ve been waiting for this moment for years. Do you have any idea how much torture you put everyone through with your sexual tension and lack of being together despite being perfectly suited for each other? Jesus Christ, talk about frustrating. But it looks like everything worked out, so you’re completely forgiven.”

“So this whole thing was your plan, Krista? I have to admit, I underestimated you.” Levi said with an edge of admiration in his tone.

“Yep, I thought of the whole idea. And no offense Levi, but you’re not really my type. I like my girls tall and busty.” She said smirking, pulling Ymir from where she was to join her. “But don’t be too sad, because now you have Eren.” Levi smiled in response, kissing Eren’s cheek and enjoying the now bright-red face of the brunette. Indeed he did. Finally.

**Author's Note:**

> Again, I hope you all liked it. I seriously spent one hell of a long time working on it, so any feedback that you'd be able to give would be invaluable. Chapter two should be up tomorrow!


End file.
